Aviate, though in private beta, is getting some attention. It’s another attempt at an active launcher that changes depending on what you’re doing. Somewhat like Google Now, it’s meant to give you the weather, nearby places to eat, driving directions, and more on the homescreen itself. And although it’s a private beta, it’s getting easier to get in. Your friends might have some spare codes that Aviate recently allowed when upgrading the app from alpha to beta.

However, the launcher needs to collect quite a bit of data for all of these recommendations. It collects a lot of data, like location, installed apps, and other things. And that’s understandable for an app that needs it, but where does that data go?

It seems that some people are saying that the data is not properly being secured, so it can be found and used by others. And of course, we don’t know what the developers themselves could be doing with all this data. It might worry some people, so the warning is out there. But whatever info it’s collecting could be the info you’re posting on your Facebook anyway, so keep that in mind.

We’re hoping that the developer will respond and maybe make the app more secure if there really are issues with security. But the user should always be aware of what they’re installing, so here’s a warning to you in the meantime. Do you use Aviate? Does this push you away from it? Leave a comment!

Update: It seems that Paul Montoy-Wilson, one of the co-founders of Aviate, has responded to this security issue on his Google+ page. The issue is indeed real, and your private data is at risk when using Aviate in its current form. However, it is a beta, so problems should be expected. He states that the team is working on a fix and it is their top priority, so expect it to be fixed by the final release at the latest, if not in the next update. It’s good to see companies take privacy seriously and respond to issues like this quickly.

Dima Aryeh is a Russian obsessed with all things tech. He does photography, is an avid phone modder (who uses an AT&T Galaxy Note II), a heavy gamer (both PC and 360), and an aspiring home mechanic. He is also an avid fan of music, especially power metal.

Well, this does push me away from it. I trust Google with my data on Google Now because I now how they’re using it and its security, but being a user of Aviate for a few days, this kind of gives me chills. I love the launcher a lot (it’s the only one I have been using so far), but now I will be uninstalling until further information is provided by the Aviate team.